The Koinon of magnitude--the propositions from which enthymemes can be constructed that will enable one to compare and contrast the relative value of two or more competing courses of action or objects of desire, regardless of subject.
These topics appear to result from Aristotle's three part definition of a good, which is
According to the first koinon of magnitude,
this definition is to be treated as hierarchical in the sense that anything
which falls under the purview of 1) is superior to anything that falls under the
purview of 2 and of 3 while anything under 2 is superior to 3, and anything
which falls under 3 is superior to anything which does not fall under any of the
above.
So, because the primary definition of good is
anything that is chosen for its own sake, whatever is chosen for its own sake is
superior to (of greater value than) anything chosen for the sake of what it can
produce or lead to; and anything which exists for itself is superior to any
thing which exists for the sake of some other thing because it is an end in
itself; and anything which is more often chosen by most people or the more
intelligent people is better than what few or the foolish would choose.
The second koinon of magnitude: the greatest of the greatest is
greatest. This might be exemplified by the enthymeme: even the best amateur is
no match for a pro.
The third koinon is that
whatever precedes is superior to whatever follows, as long as the relationship
is not reciprocal, because what follows is only a potential. If the relationship
were reciprocal, then both would be interchangeable and therefore of equal
value. With money you can buy food. And with food you can make money; but for
the hungry, food is preferable to money because you can't eat dollar bills.
The fourth koinon of magnitude. Things exceeding
something equal to a greater entity are greater than it: if A>B, and C = A.
Then C>B. If education is preferable to ignorance and reading is equivalent
to education, then it is better to read than to watch TV.
The fifth koinon of magnitude. Things that are productive of a
greater good are greater than anything which is productive of a lesser good. If
X produces A and Y produces B, and A is preferable to B, then X is preferable to
Y. If exercise produces health, and sitting around the house produces
contentment, and contentment is preferable to health, then....
Independent things are superior to dependent things. And, of two
things, if one can exist without the other, then it is superior (because it is
independent). Thus, it is better to be rich than to practice a lucrative
profession, because (if) the purpose of practicing a lucrative profession is to
gain wealth so as to become independent. But it is best to have no desires at
all, or only the most basic, because then one is beholden to no one.
Anything which is an end is a greater good than anything
which is not an end.
First principles are superior to
secondary or derivative principles. (First is best).
What is scarcer is superior to what is more common because it is harder
to come by. But it will also be less useful because harder to obtain. If utility
is the issue, then what is more common is superior to what is scarce.
What is more difficult is superior to what is easier
because it is rarer, but the easier is preferable to the more difficult because
most people want to do the easier things.
Something
the opposite of which or the loss of which is a greater evil is a greater thing.
Those things are greater whose effects are greater.
If a thing is finer than another, then a preference
for that thing is finer. If god is superior to matter, then theology is superior
to physics. What the wise desire and what the better people want is superior to
what the common folk desire and worse sorts of people want. And what is more
pleasant, and what is longer lasting and things that are praised and things that
people ant to do and wall all people prefer.
What is
real is preferable to what is artificial, or imaginary.
Truth is preferable to opinion, certainty to relative certainty. So
much so in fact that some would choose a known misfortune to an unknown
opportunity.
What ever is productive of a greater
things is superior to what ever produces an lesser thing.
What is useful in many respects is preferable to what is not.
What is less painful and pleasant is preferable.
Of two goods, that which added to one makes the whole
greater is greater.
And things that do not escape
attention when present are preferable to things which do. Sometimes the
appearance of something can be preferable to the reality of it. Sometimes also
one cannot enjoy the reality of something if its appearance is unavailable.
Anything done with premeditation and care is greater than
anything done accidentally or of necessity.
What many
prefer is preferable to what only a few care about.